When people finish their day and hurry home,
my day starts.
My diner is open from midnight to 7:00 in the morning.
They call it "Midnight Diner."
Do I even have customers?
More than you would expect.
MIDNIGHT DINER: TOKYO STORIES
CHICKEN FRIED RICE
ON PATROL
This is still here, not sold?
I don't care if he's sold or not. I want him to stay now.
You feel attached to him.
Yes, I know it's only junk.
Oh, it's about time.
-Thank you. -Okay.
Here you are.
Exact amount.
What's that?
This?
It's like a merry-go-round.
He is lonely on his own, though.
This won't sell, either.
It's just walking the same spot again and again.
Like our life.
Be lost in thought later. Let's get back to work.
You're right. See you.
Thank you.
I confirm the stolen wallet is in the bag.
Yes, I will take him to Headquarters.
Sorry to have bothered you, everyone.
Stealing? What did this man steal?
He has repeatedly stolen bags at midnight movie theaters.
A habitual offender.
I see.
Because the movie theater is dark.
Sometimes I was so into the movie, I forgot to steal, though.
For instance, recently--
I'll listen to your film reviews at the office.
Yes.
Thank you. We may need to ask you more questions later.
Sure.
So, can I order whatever I'd like here?
If I have enough ingredients.
I see.
It sounds like customers are given more choices,
but decisions are actually led by the diner.
What an interesting strategy.
What's the strategy?
Don't know.
Can you make chicken rice?
Sure.
I can.
Also a beer, please.
Okay.
Here you go.
Thank you.
How's it?
Delicious!
My name is Akai.
That's why you wear red?
Funny. You even order red-colored food.
The color red gives you power. Some people wear red underwear, you know.
Don't you like peas?
I didn't when I was a kid.
But now...
These days, I can't find any restaurant that serves this old-style chicken rice.
Since then,
it seems he liked my chicken rice,
and he's been coming here sometimes.
Mr. Momi, this...
It's Shinichiro Akai indeed.
Is he that famous?
He's a super famous game creator.
Just the video games, right?
The game he created, Door to Door,
commonly known as D to D series,
is a very popular one and is played worldwide.
Who are you?
Mr. Momi is my game master.
Master means my teacher not as in diner's owner!
Here, another one.
Thanks.
Why did he leave his business card?
He said he's been asked to go on TV.
They will make a documentary program about him.
He asked me if it could be shot here, too.
What? That's amazing! Make sure you accept that!
Anyway, I think he'd better stop wearing those red suits.
Even his name is Akai.
Master, I think a man who can only make silly jokes like that
needs a walkthrough manual of life.
Life, it's not like a game. You can't reset it.
Mr. Momi, you're so deep.
We'll frame the paper lantern and...
That's how they started shooting a documentary here.
Master.
Please get ready to cook.
Thank you.
Like this?
Okay.
Mr. Akai, let's start.
Sure.
Set...
Three, two...
Excuse me.
I've finished with the adjustments you asked me to do yesterday.
Quick work. Can I see it now?
Of course.
I'm happy with the movement of fingers, but not the neck.
The neck is important.
It won't be dynamic enough if it doesn't move like this.
It was when he was in high school when Akai encountered video games.
He says it was a means to escape reality.
My husband used to be a barkeep.
But he passed away five years ago.
I have no children, and as long as I don't employ anyone,
I can enjoy working here.
I see.
I'd started it just before the Showa era ended.
-It's over 30 years, then? -Yes.
Congratulations!
Thank you!
Here, come on.
Thank you.
I heard you have fond memories about chicken rice.
When I was little, this was our main dish for celebrations, like my birthday.
Akai grew up in an orphanage.
Shinichiro Akai is not his real name.
The name was given to him by the head of the orphanage.
This photo was taken after he was brought to...
-Today's story is quite somber, isn't it? -Yes.
You can hear that kind of story everywhere.
That was hard for me as I can't change my past.
That's why I decided to overwrite my life,
-and stop worrying about who I am. -Ma'am.
-What?
Can I have whiskey and water?
Sure.
I, your mother...
I wanted to see you so much, Shin.
On the program, I said
that's how I remembered my mother called me.
That's why you call me that, right?
Don't be silly.
You are my Shin.
Can you take a DNA test?
You're the son of your father's ex-wife,
so I'm not your biological mother.
Many women turned up and claimed to be his mom?
After watching Mr. Akai's documentary?
He talked about it, laughing,
but he hasn't been here for a while.
I can see how depressed he must be,
because he knows all they want is his money.
Master looks depressed as well.
Why?
What? Well...
He was so worried about running out of ingredients,
thinking many viewers would rush in here after the documentary.
But it didn't happen.
Master! We are here to support you!
It turned out to be nothing to worry about.
It was a good thing in the end, right?
-He expected more customers? -Of course.
Otherwise, he wouldn't say "in the end."
Welcome.
I watched the program the other day--
Wow!
Master, see? It attracted a customer!
Yeah.
Do you play video games?
No way. I'm here for his chicken rice.
Could I have a chicken rice, please?
It looked so delicious on TV.
Sure.
Is this the game?
Right. It'll be finally on sale.
A long time ago,
I used to make this dish often.
For your children?
Yes.
Excuse me...
The man who was interviewed... Does he come here?
He must be very busy these days.
I haven't seen him recently.
I see.
I'll check the schedule now.
We don't have time for this.
You seem so exhausted.
Because of my age, perhaps.
I feel exhausted after working through the night.
She came here after watching the program
because the chicken rice looked good.
Is that so? I like it very much, too.
I'm so sorry...
Shin.
Your father had...
a wife...
and a child.
He said I could have the baby
but he couldn't officially acknowledge you.
He left me in the end.
I tried my best to raise you alone...
But I had no skills to get a job,
and it was too much to take for a 20-year-old girl.
My parents cut ties with me.
I didn't have anyone to talk to.
I thought about killing both of us.
How selfish.
Please don't get me wrong.
I didn't say that, thinking you're my mother.
Then...
I thought we should have good memories before we die...
and we went to an amusement park.
When I was looking at your happy face...
I felt scared to take your life with me.
You said, "I want to get on that one."
I left you there and ran away.
It was on a horse of a merry-go-round.
In the end,
you couldn't kill yourself.
That's disgusting.
I don't have a mother.
She can't call herself a mother, either, because she abandoned me.
You're right.
I have no rights to be your mother after all these years.
Red color suits you very much,
Shinichi.
I could survive without having parents...
I believed so.
Why should I change that now?
Here you go.
Is this...
"He refused to eat peas,
but he started eating them when I put peas like this."
Your mother told me so.
That woman...
She called me Shinichi.
Is that your real name?
Yes.
I've been told...
that only a note with my real name
was in my pocket when I was found.
In addition...
the fact that I was found at the merry-go-round...
Only a handful of people know that.
She knew she was not in a position to see you,
but she came here to do so, I guess?
For the last two weeks...
she came in every day,
thinking you would turn up any minute.
She had been waiting for you, feeling scared.
When I was rescued,
I was wearing a red jacket.
I kept wearing
the red jacket...
until it was threadbare.
Because I wanted her to find me.
I wanted my mother to find me...
for a very long time.
A while later,
Mr. Akai's new game was released.
See you.
It was delicious.
Mr. Momi,
you look exhausted.
So do you. You haven't had much sleep, have you?
They're so hooked on the game, without having enough sleep every night.
It takes away my time.
Instead of getting angry about my time being taken away,
I'd like to thank it.
Talk about a crazy contradiction.
I want to tell him about this feeling.
Do you think Mr. Akai is coming here?
Who knows.
It seems he's found another place that serves better chicken rice.
Welcome.
Here is the menu.
Beer and a chicken rice, please.
Sure.
No worries. I'll do it myself.
I'm starving.
Okay.
Wait a minute.
RAMEN
A parent and a child, who lived apart for several decades,
they met again at Midnight Diner. They had some issues at first,
but I heard they made amends.
That kind of thing happens at his place.
People can reconcile.
Isn't that nice once in a while?
Right.
THIS STORY IS A WORK OF FICTION